SYDNEY MINES, N.S. — The defending champion Marauders hit the ice Thursday night when the Mae Kibyuk Memorial Green and Gold Hockey Tournament kicks off at the Emera Centre Northside.

But it could be difficult to repeat as the host Memorial High School squad has an almost completely different look from a year ago, when the Marauders defeated the rival Glace Bay Panthers 2-1 in the championship game.

“We lost 15 players from last season, — it’s a whole new lineup,” said Memorial head coach Terry Duff.

“The kids are still getting used to the pace of the league — they’re nervous, but they’re excited and I don’t expect any lack of effort.”

The tournament features eight teams, four from Cape Breton, three from mainland Nova Scotia and one from Winnipeg, Man.

The competing squads have been placed in two divisions that feature a round-robin schedule. The top two teams in the two divisions meet in Saturday evening’s semifinals.

The Gold division is comprised of Memorial, Dalbrae Dragons of Mabou, Dartmouth’s Prince Andrew Panthers and J.L. Ilsley Judges of Halifax, while the Green division features Riverview Redmen, Glace Bay Panthers, Halifax’s Citadel Phoenix and Winnipeg’s Garden City Fighting Gophers.

Sydney Academy will be a noticeable absence as the school failed to ice a team this season due to a lack of players.

The tournament starts Thursday at 6 p.m. when local rivals Riverview and Glace Bay take to the ice. The opening ceremonies will follow before the host Marauders begin defense of their title against the Fighting Gophers.

Round robin play continues through Saturday afternoon, with the two semifinal matches being contested that evening. The championship game is set for Sunday.

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2017 Mae Kibyuk Memorial Green and Gold high school hockey tournament:

Gold Division: Memorial Marauders, Dalbrae Dragons, Prince Andrew Panthers, J.L. Ilsley Judges

Green Division: Riverview Redmen, Glace Bay Panthers, Garden City Fighting Gophers, Citadel Phoenix

Thursday's games:

6 p.m. - Glace Bay vs. Riverview

7:45 p.m. – Garden City vs. Memorial